Page 11 of Claymore
She placed her half onto her plate, sliding the rest over to me. I smirked at her, taking a bite, realizing she was definitely right.
“Yeah, this is amazing. Damn. The hell do they do to these potatoes?”
“The chef is just incredibly talented is all.” She chuckled.
“Oh, I know.”
I couldn’t believe how fast time flew when we were together. Nestled into the booth near the window, chatting about all the things that would usually bore me to death… She held my attention, kept me captivated, and I realized then there was no place else I’d rather be.
“You talk about your job like you genuinely love it.”
“I do. We’re all a little family here. This is one of the only places I’ve truly known my entire life. It doesn’t get better than here.”
She smiled warmly at me, her eyes falling to the table when she realized that she may not get to stay here forever. Her eyes flitted around the room every few minutes, glancing back at the door when someone would come in. I furrowed my brow at her, wondering what had her so on edge.
I caught her holding her breath, twisting the little gold ring on her right hand, gazing out the window ever so often.
“Ella? Is everything okay?”
She didn’t even answer me. Her eyes widened as she spotted the incoming bikes out front. She pointed at the window and I squinted, trying to see who they were. From the moment the engines switched off and the headlights went out, I knew it was time to go.
“The Kings.”
“Ella, we need to go.”
“What?”
“We need to go. They’re too many of them. They’re looking for trouble,” I declared.
I grabbed her hand, feeling her warm fingers wrap around mine. I led her toward the double doors, busting through them into the kitchen. The staff back there had been busy cleaning, preparing to head home. Ella’s bright curls bounced as we ran toward the back door.
“Ella? Ella! Where are you going?”
“Louise! Derek! I’m sorry. If those guys out there ask for me, tell them I’m not here. Please,” she begged and they both nodded.
The evening air was cool and crisp when we finally made it out. I handed her a dome, started up the engine, and it roared loudly through the silent night. She wrapped her arms around me tightly, and I could feel just how much she’d been shaking. I smirked, her warmth emanating from her hands as her grip grew tighter. Her fingertips dug into the fabric of my shirt underneath the lapel of my leather jacket. She was the best damn back warmer I’d ever felt before.I could get used to this.
“Hold on tight, darlin’.”
I pulled out of the backlot, speeding down the street before the Kings even knew what hit ’em. I whipped through the empty streets, listening to the comforting hum of my bike engine. I turned hard corners, hearing Ella let out a little shriek every time. Once we were far enough away from Crystal’s, I finally started to slow down. I pulled up near a little motel nestled into the heart of downtown Sedona.
There were dozens of cars parked out front, some tourists collecting their bags from the taxis, making their way inside to check-in. I parked in one of the only empty spots left and hopped off my bike. Ella was still shaking, her clammy hands wouldn’t leave mine as I looked her right in the eyes.
“Ella? It’s okay, we’re safe now. You’re safe with me.”
She looked right past me like I wasn’t even there, her teeth were chattering and her breathing was quick and quivery.
“Ella?”
“I’m sorry. I-I don’t know why this keeps happening.”
“Why? What keeps happening?” I asked curiously.
“There was an incident. Well, not really, but the Kings. They’ve been following me. They’ve been keeping tabs on everything I do. They’re everywhere, Claymore. They know where I work, where I live. I told them that night that I didn’t know where my brother was. That’s the truth. Why won’t they just leave me alone?”
“Ella, listen to me. They’re not gonna hurt you when I’m here, okay? They’re grasping at straws because without Ray, they have no idea what to do. They have no connections, nothing to get them by but a few petty crimes. They can’t be rolling in cash without him and that makes them crazy. They’re gonna try to do whatever they can to get to him, even if that means holding you over his head.”
“What am I going to do?”
